$29 Ozark Trail 2 - Person Hiking Tent

Thanks for the review. Good info for a tent to keep in the truck for an emergency as my standard tarp is OK
 
Good stuff! Think bringing another tarp just act as a secondary rain fly would help it out?
 
I bought a 4 man Walmart ozark trails tent to use when island camping while living in Florida almost 10 years ago. The salt spray can play havoc on tents and I didn't want to use my nicer backpacking tent.

Suffice it to say I have not babied that tent at all. I still use it for a week each summer while instructing at a wilderness camp. It's bulky, heavy and I'd never use it for anything but car camping but it has never leaked and is still going strong. I think I've probably sprayed 10 to 15 cans of silicone spray on it in its lifetime ��
 
Thanks so much for the review. For those of us on a budget, this kind of feedback is most welcome. Dropping $250+ for an ultralight tent just isn't an option at the moment. $29? Much more tolerable. Might be a different story if I were going to be summiting a major peak or spending 10 days on a trail, but for 2-3 days, this kind of tent has alot of appeal. And let's face it, a good shelter (ie a good tent) can mean the different between a good time and a bug-covered, cold, wet time. I'd probably be using some self-adhesive Velcro on that eport too.

And to me the 1 man tents are for people under 4' tall, and two person tents seem to be just about right for one average size guy with some gear to bring inside.

I'll be interested in how well it packs for say a 2-3 day trip, especially the tent poles, etc..

Thanks again,
BOSS
 
Sorry to see the review edited out. Cheap tents are what they are. And some are better quality than others even in the very bottom pricepoints. IMHO even a user of high end tents would benefit from keeping a decent cheapie stashed for needful occasions. A spare, a loaner, one convenient when the choice one is damaged or unavailable. A vehicle emergency shelter. Heck a place to crash the kids in the backyard for a sleepover. Thx for the review anyway. And FYI, right now is the best time to find end of season discounts and closeouts on the low priced tents making them better deals than ever.
 
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Wha hoppen?​

For those who missed it, the gist of the review was the tent withstood heavy rain. A little water came in through the zipper and the port for an electric cord.

Looks like TheJeepster has deleted every post he's ever made on Bladeforums, which must have been a lot of work (582 posts). :confused:
 
A poly painter drop cloth can make even a leaky cheap tent into a snug emergency user shelter. Like some of the poorer Ozark Trails discontinued or garage sale tents. And the MSRP mentioned in the OP puts it squarely in the ultra affordable backup category, less than a family of four at a fast food meal. Bonus that it is usable as-is vis this phantom review.
 
FYI We camped out in Henry Cowell state park 2 weeks ago. Of course it rains hard in Cali the first time we go camping. Our buddy had an Ozark Trail. We had a Kelty. He ended up sleeping underneath a community area I built with a tap because of the rain buildup in his tent. We stayed totally dry. Also.... Why did jeepster edit all of his posts?
 
No one knows. Perhaps he is afraid the NSA is watching his internet activity. Or Wal-Mart. Or a parent or spouse. But the pre-edit text still exists in the BF backend access that mods can see so they could restore it if they wanted. They just generally try to follow the Prime Directive and not interfere with the space/time continuum.

Cheap tent is as cheap tent does. Heck, I have an originally expensive higher end tent (Mountainsmith Sanctuary) that never leaks but I carry a tarp to cover it should it ever do so because of deterioration or damage. I would do no less if I carried or loaned a $30 tent.
 
TLR said:
I bought a 4 man Walmart ozark trails tent to use when island camping while living in Florida almost 10 years ago. The salt spray can play havoc on tents and I didn't want to use my nicer backpacking tent.

Suffice it to say I have not babied that tent at all. I still use it for a week each summer while instructing at a wilderness camp. It's bulky, heavy and I'd never use it for anything but car camping but it has never leaked and is still going strong. I think I've probably sprayed 10 to 15 cans of silicone spray on it in its lifetime ��
Click to expand...

I don't usually comment in this sub forum, but that comment really made me laugh. 10 - 15 cans of silicone... I'm right there with you! My Ozark Trails was purchased at a large sporting goods store here in town and I have used it for about 20 years. I take that one when I am going no more than about 5 - 7 miles from the truck (or less!) and it has been a real performer. Excellent for truck camping and hunting, it is heavy, bulky, sturdy and with new seam seal every 5 years (along with the silicone treatment) it doesn't leak at all.

The floor is a little flimsy, so I put down a piece of 3 mil plastic as ground cover, the rain fly still hangs on and provides good protection and I can set it up in just a few minutes. It is 4 man, which means I barely fit in it when sleeping diagonally (6'2", 280 pounds). My pack goes in one corner and my boots/stove in the other when I am zipped in.

I paid $19 for it 20 years ago. Sadly, I reach for that tent 9 times out of 10 before I take my really nice Kelty. I don't remember the model, but the Kelty is a lightweight piece of tissue paper that I don't think would stand up to muddy boots, and all the thorns, sharp sticks and scrubby brush we have down here in South Texas. A great tent, I bought the Kelty thinking I was going to do some distance hiking. But for the tent I toss in the back of the truck with my other weekend gear and go, its that old Ozark Trails.

Typing this, I can guarantee that I have put more money in seam seal and silicone spray than the tent cost!

Robert
 
Thanks for the review - there are some decent buys at the lower end of the market. Reviews like this help to separate the "decent" from the "tent like objects"!
 
TheJeepster said:
I am doing a test on a tent.
Click to expand...

Really? Again? You've made some awesome reviews, but this disappearing act is getting a bit tiresome. These reviews really have been very valuable. I don't need another tent, but this review (or the one which was here) almost had me clicking the buy button anyway. I'm actually watching the price on the 4 season version of this tent. Oh well...
 
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